The opening of the 858 room Makkah Clock Royal Tower Hotel, expected in the third quarter of this year, presents unique challenges for its Canadian based developer, Fairmont Hotels and Resorts. Non-Muslims are not allowed to enter Makkah, which means that many Fairmont executives, including its president, can’t attend the grand opening of the hotel. The 477 meter tall hotel, which is being designed by the Saudi Binladen group, is one of the tallest buildings in the world and looks similar to London’s Big Ben.
President of Fairmont, Tom Storey, said “There’s a built in demand because every Muslim is supposed to do the Haj at some point in their lives and there is no product of this quality in this location.” Mr. Storey said because Makkah is the holiest city in Islam, and non-Muslims are not allowed to go there, he visited Dubai in order to meet senior executives working on the hotel.
